Simon Majadibodu|Published12 minutes agoRamaphosa defends B-BBEE laws amid Musk’s criticism

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pushed back against claims by Elon Musk that South Africa’s empowerment laws are “racist”, saying the policies are constitutional measures to address historical inequality. President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected Elon Musk’s criticism of South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) laws, insisting that the policy is not racist, despite being labelled “extremely racist” by the billionaire. Musk, who was born in South Africa, claimed his satellite internet service, Starlink, was denied a licence because he is not Black.

He described the regulations as “extremely racist” and a “shameful disgrace” to the legacy of Nelson Mandela, and called for sanctions against officials supporting B-BBEE. However, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) confirmed in March 2025 that Starlink had not formally applied for the required licences, despite raising concerns about the regulatory framework. Under the Electronic Communications Act, aligned with B-BBEE policy, companies are required to have at least 30% equity ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals. Musk also alleged that his company was offered opportunities to bypass the requirement by misrepresenting ownership, which he said he refused.